Practical Research 2 Lesson 1: Introduction to Quantitative Research

Summary

This lecture introduces quantitative research, contrasting it with qualitative methods by focusing on numerical data analysis using statistical techniques. It highlights the characteristics of quantitative research, such as structured data collection, hypothesis testing, and objectivity. The lecture emphasizes its importance in various fields, including education, business, health services, and technology, for performance measurement, evaluation, and improvement. It also touches on the strengths and limitations of quantitative research, such as generalizability and potential lack of depth.

Takeaways

• 📘 Introduction to Quantitative Research: The session focuses on defining quantitative research, its characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, and importance in various fields.
• 🔢 Emphasis on Numbers: Quantitative research is about explaining phenomena through numerical data and statistical analysis, unlike qualitative research which focuses on descriptions and words.
• 📊 Data Presentation: Data in quantitative research is presented using graphs, charts, tables, and figures to visually represent the numerical findings.
• 📋 Structured Methods: Data is collected using structured and standardized research instruments, which require validation for reliability and accuracy.
• 🧐 Hypothesis Testing: Quantitative research involves testing hypotheses and theories using statistical methods to draw conclusions from the data collected.
• 🔍 Objective Analysis: The approach is objective, meaning it aims to be impersonal and logical, based on numerical data rather than personal opinions or feelings.
• 🤖 Convergent Reasoning: Quantitative research uses convergent reasoning, moving towards a single solution or conclusion, as opposed to divergent reasoning which explores multiple solutions.
• 🌐 Large Sample Sizes: It typically requires larger sample sizes to ensure the results are representative of the population and can be generalized.
• 🏫 Importance in Education: Quantitative research is crucial for evaluating teaching styles, learning programs, and student performance, contributing to improvements in the educational system.
• 💼 Business Applications: It helps in improving marketing strategies by analyzing consumer opinions and satisfaction, which can lead to more effective product campaigns.
• 🏥 Health Services: Quantitative research is valuable in health services for investigating the effectiveness of treatments, medicines, and medical practices on a larger scale.
• 🔬 Science and Technology: It plays a significant role in testing the efficacy of new inventions, gadgets, and devices, contributing to advancements in quality of life.
• 📉 Strengths and Weaknesses: While quantitative research offers strengths such as generalizability, reliability, and ease of data collection, it also has weaknesses like limited depth, potential lack of necessary data, and inflexibility in research design.

Q & A

What is the main focus of today's session on practical research?

The main focus of today's session is on quantitative research, its definition, characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, and importance across different fields of study.

What distinguishes quantitative research from qualitative research?

Quantitative research focuses on collecting numerical data and analyzing it using mathematical methods, unlike qualitative research which deals with words, descriptions, and thematic analysis.

How does quantitative research approach data analysis?

Quantitative research approaches data analysis through the use of statistical methods, graphs, charts, tables, and figures to present the numerical data collected.

What are some of the characteristics of quantitative research mentioned in the script?

Characteristics of quantitative research include data in the form of numbers, use of statistical methods for analysis, structured and standardized research instruments, hypothesis testing, objectivity, and reliance on convergent reasoning.

Why is validity and reliability important in quantitative research instruments?

Validity and reliability are important to ensure that the research instruments are accurate and consistent, providing trustworthy data for analysis.

What does it mean for quantitative research to be objective?

Objectivity in quantitative research means that the research process and findings are impersonal and not influenced by personal feelings or opinions, relying solely on numerical data and logical analysis.

How does quantitative research differ from qualitative research in terms of sample size?

Quantitative research typically uses larger sample sizes that are representative of a population, while qualitative research often involves smaller, more in-depth studies with fewer participants.

Why is quantitative research important in educational research?

Quantitative research is important in educational research as it helps measure performance levels, evaluate teaching styles, and assess satisfaction, contributing to improvements in the educational system through generalized and tested studies.

In what ways can quantitative research benefit business and marketing strategies?

Quantitative research can benefit business by analyzing consumer opinions through surveys, which can help create effective product campaigns, identify marketable demographics, and improve sales strategies.

How does quantitative research contribute to health services and medical investigations?

Quantitative research contributes to health services by analyzing the effectiveness of treatments, medicines, and medical practices on a larger scale, aiding in the discovery of solutions to chronic or terminal illnesses while adhering to ethical research standards.

What are some of the strengths of quantitative research as discussed in the script?

The strengths of quantitative research include large sample sizes for better generalizability, reliable data for policy making, replicability of research methods, lack of personal interaction to avoid bias, and the use of standardized instruments for validity and reliability.

What are the potential weaknesses of quantitative research as hinted in the script?

Although not explicitly mentioned in the script, potential weaknesses of quantitative research could include a lack of depth in exploration, inflexibility in research design, limited interaction leading to potentially inaccurate responses, and the high cost associated with large sample sizes.

Outlines

00:00

📊 Introduction to Quantitative Research

This paragraph introduces the concept of quantitative research as a method of studying phenomena through numerical data analysis. It emphasizes the use of mathematical and statistical methods to solve specific problems, contrasting it with qualitative research that focuses on descriptions and experiences. The paragraph outlines the definition, characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, and importance of quantitative research across various fields. It explains that quantitative research involves structured data collection using standardized instruments and often includes hypothesis testing. The summary also touches on the necessity of understanding statistics and probability for conducting such research.

05:00

📈 Characteristics and Importance of Quantitative Research

The second paragraph delves into the characteristics of quantitative research, such as the use of numbers, statistical analysis, and objective reasoning. It highlights the importance of quantitative research in education for measuring performance and evaluating teaching styles, as well as in business for improving marketing strategies through consumer opinion surveys. The paragraph also discusses the significance of quantitative research in health services for analyzing the effectiveness of treatments and in science and technology for testing new inventions. The summary underscores the benefits of using large sample sizes for generalization and the reliability of results for policy-making.

10:04

🛠️ Applications and Strengths of Quantitative Research

This paragraph discusses the practical applications of quantitative research in various sectors, including business, health services, and science and technology. It explains how quantitative research can enhance product campaigns by identifying marketable demographics and how it aids in medical investigations to compare the effectiveness of treatments. The paragraph also describes the strengths of quantitative research, such as its generalizability due to large sample sizes, the reliability of its findings, and the ease of replication. It contrasts the impersonal nature of quantitative research with the personal interaction involved in qualitative research, highlighting the reduced potential for personal bias.

15:07

🔍 Weaknesses of Quantitative Research and Research Design Considerations

The final paragraph addresses the weaknesses of quantitative research, including its lack of depth compared to qualitative research and the potential for inaccurate responses due to limited interaction with respondents. It mentions the inflexibility of quantitative research design and the high costs associated with large sample sizes. The summary also emphasizes the importance of choosing the appropriate research type and design for a given topic, acknowledging that each research approach has its strengths and weaknesses. The paragraph concludes with an invitation for questions and a reminder of the next lesson's focus on variables.

Keywords

💡Quantitative Research

Quantitative research is a systematic methodology that emphasizes the collection of numerical data and its subsequent analysis through mathematical and statistical methods. It is central to the video's theme, as it is the primary subject being discussed. The script describes it as a way to explain phenomena by analyzing data collected via surveys or pre-existing data using computational techniques, which is a departure from the qualitative research that focuses on descriptions and experiences with words.

💡Qualitative Research

Qualitative research is contrasted with quantitative research in the script, focusing on understanding social or natural phenomena through words, descriptions, and non-numerical data. It is mentioned at the beginning of the video to highlight the transition from the previous topic to the new focus on numbers and statistics in quantitative research.

💡Statistical Analysis

Statistical analysis is integral to quantitative research, as it involves the use of mathematical tools to interpret the numerical data collected. The script explains that quantitative research anchors on mathematics for data analysis, unlike qualitative research which might use thematic or content analysis. Examples from the script include the use of graphs, charts, and tables to present data.

💡Structured and Standardized Research Instruments

In the context of the video, structured and standardized research instruments refer to pre-tested tools that have been validated for use in quantitative research. The script emphasizes the importance of using these instruments to ensure the validity and reliability of the data collected, as opposed to creating ad-hoc surveys without proper validation.

💡Hypothesis Testing

Hypothesis testing is a critical component of quantitative research, allowing researchers to examine relationships and make predictions based on collected data. The script mentions hypothesis testing as a process that can be applied using statistical methods, which is fundamental to understanding and validating theories within quantitative research.

💡Objectivity

Objectivity in research refers to the absence of personal feelings or biases, ensuring that the findings are based solely on the data collected and analyzed. The script contrasts objectivity with subjectivity, highlighting that quantitative research strives for impersonal and logical conclusions based on numerical data.

💡Convergent Reasoning

Convergent reasoning is a method of problem-solving that leads to a single solution or answer, as opposed to divergent reasoning which encourages multiple solutions. The script explains that quantitative research uses convergent reasoning, focusing on finding a definitive answer through the analysis of numerical data.

💡Sample Size

Sample size in quantitative research refers to the number of subjects or units of observation included in the study. The script points out that larger sample sizes are preferred in quantitative research for better representation of the population and to ensure the reliability of the findings.

💡Generalizability

Generalizability is the extent to which the findings of a study can be applied to a larger population. The script discusses the importance of generalizability in quantitative research, noting that larger sample sizes contribute to the ability to generalize results beyond the sample studied.

💡Validity and Reliability

Validity and reliability are key concepts in research, ensuring that the data collected is accurate and consistent. The script stresses the importance of these concepts in the context of using structured and standardized research instruments, as they are crucial for ensuring the quality and trustworthiness of quantitative research findings.

💡Ethical Grounds

Ethical grounds refer to the principles and standards that guide the conduct of research to ensure the protection of participants and the integrity of the research process. The script briefly mentions the importance of adhering to ethical grounds in research, particularly in the context of health services and experimental research.

Highlights

Introduction to quantitative research, a shift from qualitative to numerical data analysis.

Quantitative research defined as explaining phenomena through numerical data and mathematical analysis.

Emphasis on the use of statistical, mathematical, and numerical analysis in quantitative research.

Characteristics of quantitative research include data in numerical form and analysis using statistical methods.

Use of structured and standardized research instruments in quantitative data gathering.

Hypothesis testing and reliance on theories as integral to quantitative research methodology.

Quantitative research is objective, impersonal, and detached from personal feelings or opinions.

Convergent reasoning in quantitative research, focusing on a single solution to a problem.

Quantitative research results are based on larger sample sizes for population representation.

Importance of quantitative research in measuring learner performance and educational factors.

Quantitative research's role in evaluating teaching styles, programs, and satisfaction levels.

Generalizability of quantitative research findings for educational system improvements.

Application of quantitative research in business for marketing strategy improvement.

Use of consumer opinion surveys in businesses to enhance product campaigns and identify marketable demographics.

Quantitative research in health services for investigating medical effectiveness and improving treatments.

Quantitative research's utility in science and technology for testing new inventions and gadgets.

Strengths of quantitative research including large sample size, generalizability, and reliability.

Quantitative research's ease of data gathering through surveys and questionnaires.

Weaknesses of quantitative research such as lack of depth and inflexibility in research design.

The cost associated with large sample sizes in quantitative research.

The necessity of selecting the appropriate research type and design based on the topic's requirements.

Transcripts

okay a pleasant morning to everyone so

for today we are going to study about

practical research too so we have the

introduction first about quantitative

research so after you had your

qualitative

research this time we would be moving to

quantitative so we're done with

experiences with words with description

this time we are going to look into

numbers

digits and and anything that deals with

stats okay so we're done with the

descriptions of qualitative we would now

be jumping to quantity or

numbers so again introduction to

quantitative research so with the St for

new knowledge and knowing the research

is already being done so we are doing

this already so this

involves um collecting and Gathering

data and information through

scientific or logical

procedure that would aim to solve a

particular problem so this module today

my dear students would focus on

quantitative research its definition

characteristics strengths and Witnesses

and importance across different fields

of study so if you remember we we also

had this

before in Practical research one it's

just that the focus was on qualitative

research so what's quantitative research

quantitative research is

explaining phenomena by collecting

numerical data that are then analyzed

using mathematically based methods so

the Anchorage would always be on

mathematics in terms of of data

analysis unlike in qualitative research

often use

thematic

analysis content analysis or even

discourse analysis things that deal with

words and quantitative research

emphasizes the use of statistical

mathematical and numerical analysis of

data that are collected through

puls okay question

surveys or manipulating pre-existing

data using computation techniques okay

so but here that's clarify manipulating

we're not necessarily fabricating things

but we're going to use data to come up

with a sensible interpretation of it

using various computational techniques

so that's why before you had this you

already had your uh statistics and

probability

okay so what are the characteristics of

quantitative

research so first of course data is in

the form of numbers that's what we often

say okay it will always be in for in the

form of

numbers so data are also analyzed since

they are in form of numbers using

statistical methods using graphs charts

tables and figures so that's how we make

uh that's how we present our data that's

how we present the numbers that we had

from the data Gathering data are

gathered using

structured and standardized research

instrument so in that case a moment

please so in that case you are going uh

to use instruments that have been that

that were tested already that were used

by

existing uh studies that are

standardized or if you really want to

like push your um abilities you could

formulate your own but you would have to

uh pilot test you have you should have

it validated and all for it to be

considered acceptable for quantitative

research again we use structured and

standard IED research instruments that

means you cannot just come up with with

a survey and then declare it as

something that you could use you'll have

to check the

validity and the

reliability of the instrument plus the

validation of the

experts here we also have the hypothesis

testing and theories so if you remember

your stati

iscs there is the testing of the

hypothesis process that you could do

using uh the data that you have so we

will be applying this in our study with

the help of Statistics as well for

number five we could also say

that quantitative research is objective

so what's objective so let's put

the opposite of of object objective

which is

subjective objective is

impersonal you're detached you don't

allow your feelings to intervene nothing

personal subjective on the other hand is

personal opinionated everything that

comes from the person so both of which

are not

negative they are neutral terms but of

course we know that uh subjectivity has

no room for quantitative research since

this has to be logical objective and

based on

numbers

okay they are reliable they won't change

okay so it also uses convergent

reasoning uh rather than Divergent okay

so these two are different okay in a

sense that we would often see this as to

how

the data is

approached so in that case the way we

answer the problems or the way we

address address the selected question it

is convergent going to towards one

solution however when we talk about

Divergent it's more on creativity like

you think of multiple ways on how to

solve the problem okay and results are

based on larger sample

sizes than

representative of a population so if you

remember in the past in

Kali you could have like 15 to 20 or

even

less since you're going for an indepth

um attack in terms of the data but for

quanti you need something

broader so it's something something

horizontal you have to have the

sufficient number of sample so that it

will be reliable so that it would be

better so for quanti you have the

sampling techniques and you have ways on

how to compute for the sample but

definitely it has a

bigger

number okay so again data is the form of

numbers data are analyzed using

statistic methods and use graphs charts

tables and figures data are gathered

using structured standardized research

instruments that you cannot just

formulate out of the blue because you

have to check its uh validity and

reliability and you would have it

validated as well there is the testing

of the

hypothesis um it also have to be

objective and reliable we use convergent

reasoning rather than Divergent

reasoning and then results are based on

larger sample sizes okay compared to

quali wherein you could have smaller

ones so what would be the importance of

quantitative research let's look into

this so quantitative research is used to

measure the level of performance of the

Learners and the factors that would

influence them it is also used to

evaluate the effectiveness of various

teaching Styles school programs learning

modalities and satisfaction of people so

quantitative research is important in

conducting educational researches that

can improve the educational system

through

generalized and tested studies so there

is the room for generalization here

especially if the population is well

represented by the um by the sample so

here we are measuring the performance

the satisfaction the the factors so it's

about numbers really it's about

numbers this is where we evaluate okay

we check are they

satisfied uh what is their performance

what is their preferred modalities what

is their attitude what is their

perception towards a particular approach

using survey questionnaire or using

their uh numerical data okay in terms of

business quantitative research can

effectively improve the marketing

strategy through looking into the

consumer opinion so if you recall at

times when you go to a restaurant or a

fast food chain there are there there

are times when you will be approached to

answer a short survey even in uh in

Delivery Services there are also

instances when you would have to fill

out a short survey in terms of like in

terms of like consumer opinion or your

satisfaction if you called uh customer

service they would ask you to rate uh

the call and the services from 1 to five

something like that so indeed

quantitative research can create an

effective product campaign and identify

marketable demographics among others

so it's it really is very useful for

business that through quantitative

research you would know the numbers that

would help you boost your

sales in terms of health services it's

also helpful because it will help you in

investigations in terms of medical and

Health Services it analyzes the

effectiveness on a particular level of

an within a

a given number of people something like

that on how the certain drug would cure

diseases there could be comparisons

terms of the recoveries okay as they try

to have or discover

more um more

groundbreaking um solutions to illnesses

that are considered chronic or even

terminal so here comes experimental

researches looking into the efficacy of

of medicine vaccines and medical

practices however within the

ethical grounds

okay there should still be the adherence

to to the ethics in research we also

find it useful in science and technology

because quantitative research is used in

science and technology mostly in testing

the efficacy of new inventions gadgets

machines and devices so we also look

into the factors that will that will

actually affect the different phenomena

in environment through experimental

research so experimental research you

might have heard it already um this is

having the experimental and the control

group so it is used in testing different

scientific models series hypothesis and

improving the quality of life so when

we're referring to gadgets

uh they could study uh the Effy of new

gadgets or inventions there could be

trial and error there could be survey

among the users Etc and everything would

be Bas would be used as basis to improve

those existing products that's why our

phones right now are so far from the

very first version that we're released

in the past and continuously our

smartphones and even laptops are

improved or are

improving so we have the strength of

quantitative research so again it has a

large sample size hence generalizable

compared to qualitative you can really

generalize because the sample size is

not really relatively large hence you

cannot say that it's representative of

the population but for quanti the larger

the sample size the better the the more

generalizable it is then data and

findings are reliable okay they can be

used for policy Mak again because they

would represent the population it can

also be replicated the data

questionnaire and sets can be replicated

to have more findings perhaps in a

different

locality personal interaction is also

not part of the research process so

there there's no space for for personal

bias

you could you would just hand the

questionnaire after the respondent is

done they would just give it to you at

uh in at some point others would just

like send the link and then that's it

unlike in qualitative you would have to

talk to the person for quite some time

30 minutes to an hour and then yeah

comparing it to quantitative

quantitative would just take uh just a

few minutes okay that's why data

gathering for quantitative is easier

because you could conduct like the the

survey for a few minutes for among let's

say 50 50 respondents but if you're

going to have 50 respondents for qu it

will take you a lot of time then

standards are used in choosing

instruments statistical treatment and

sampling procedure so that there is what

I've been telling a while back

validity and reliability of

data on the other hand of course it's

not perfect there would always be the

witnesses okay

so okay sorry sorry um of course there

would be the weaknesses but uh the slide

is not here so I'll just be giving you

the weakness

of quantitative so so in this case we

would say that it's not in depth

compared to qualitative because

qualitative practically deals with more

comprehensive approach

towards every case or data so in that

case malalim

okay okay it could also have lack of

necessary data to fully explore a

particular

problem okay and then aside from this

the research design can be uh firm it's

fixed say it's fix not not very

flexible okay so hence if you want to do

some some changes or anything waa cuz

it's already there

there's also the limitation in

interaction therefore you're also going

to have limitation of

responses you can you cannot like ask

followup questions anymore you cannot

clarify anymore the the responses from

the respondent since after they submit

okay that's it unless you do a followup

that most of the time the responses are

limited to yes or no or to the

scale there are also cases when the

responses can be

inaccurate okay who knows if the

respondent just like selected or just

guest whatever it is and then of course

large sample sizes are

considered

costly they cost a lot Okay so

every approach every research type would

always have the ups and downs but every

research um design or every research

type would also have their beauty so a

topic would necessitate a particular

research Tye and research design and we

have to be really critical what is

fitting for that particular topic so

with

that for us to check k answer the

following using your bun paper okay so

I'm going to give you a few moment to

like screenshot this one okay I'll also

be sending this to you uh using our

group chat if ever you're my students

okay and

then this will be checked okay by the

next

meeting so that I would I would know if

you really paid attention to this

discussion or not

so should you have questions okay feel

free to ask through the comment section

and don't forget to like And subscribe

and for the next lesson we'll be looking

into variables so I hope I shed some

light

about quantitative research so see you

around and God bless bye-bye